You’re Not Alone! Tips for Getting Family Involved in Healthy Eating (3 Steps)

Starting a new health and fitness habit is tough, and sticking with the changes can be even tougher (that’s what Lose It! is here for!). Another success-boosting strategy? Getting your family on-board. The support of those you love can be critical to your success, and studies have shown that having social support can help to achieve and maintain weight loss.

Sounds great on paper, but these healthy changes can be tricky to implement in the real world of daily family life. So how can you get your family involved?

1. Communicate

Educate your kids about why a diet that includes fruit, vegetables, and fewer processed food is important to grow healthy and strong. *Tip: reference specific foods to help them make the food = health connection: carrots (Vitamin A) contribute to great eyesight, fish and nuts (omega-3s) help their brain learn and remember. Keep in mind that you are your children’s number one role model, and when you eat well they are likely to follow your lead.

So that covers the kids conversation, but what about your partner-in-crime? The way we eat can be a sensitive topic, and your partner might already have ideas (right or wrong) about how he/she likes to fuel their body. Set aside time to talk to your loved one about your goals for a healthy lifestyle and how they can be supportive. If you give them specific ways to help, such as trying new foods and recipes with you, or helping with the grocery shopping, we bet they’ll be more than happy to be your nutrition cheerleader.

2. Stocking-up

Getting your family involved at the grocery store can be a great way to try new healthy foods. Let your kids pick out a fruit or vegetable to try with the next family meal. You might be surprised at their reaction now that they have a stake in the outcome!

While you’re shopping, make sure to stock-up on family-friendly (and calorie-friendly) snacks. Keeping shark gummies and candy bars around the house is not going to help you achieve your goals, so look for alternatives that will keep everyone fueled and happy. Lightly salted popcorn, stone-ground wheat crackers, berries, nuts, string cheese, and low-fat yogurt are all great options for when hunger strikes between meals.

3. The Family Meal

Eating at restaurants is both expensive and high-calorie. Eating meals together at home is not only cheaper and healthier, but has also been shown to have physical and mental benefits (think lower rates of obesity and depression). Luckily, there are many resources online to help make cooking family meals achievable where you can find meals like this “Easier than any freezer dinner.”

Want more of the grunt-work done for you? You might want to try a make-at-home meal delivery service likeHello Fresh or Blue Apron. These services do the shopping and portioning for you, so all that’s left to do is chop, cook, and enjoy. Seriously unscary family dinner.

We’re proud of the journey you’re on and the progress you’re making, and we know your family is too. Getting your loved ones involved in your healthy food choices not only gives you the support you need, it also gently nudges them towards making healthy choices of their own.

Do you have any tips for getting your family involved in healthy food choices? We’d love if you shared them with us via Facebook or Twitter!